Anger and resentment spilled out at the campus memorial service Thursday for the legendary football coach Joe Paterno, two months after he was summarily fired by the trustees. Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight broke his silence, defending Paterno’s handling of child-sex allegations that were leveled against a former coaching assistant. The near-capacity crowd of 12,000 seemed to be just waiting for somebody to bring up the subject. When Knight rose in Joe Paterno’s defense to argue that he had been made a scapegoat, ”If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation and not in Joe Paterno’s response”, the audience was instantly on its feet, applauding thunderously. Paterno’s widow, Sue, was among those rising to their feet.
Trending
